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ARLINGTON, TEX.—If the cortisone shot Devon Travis received Tuesday doesn’t start to ease the pain in his injured left shoulder, the 24-year-old believes it comes down to God to determine if he is able to return and contribute down the stretch for the Blue Jays.

“I’m not giving up yet,” Travis said. “Guys haven’t given up on me yet, so that’s always encouraging. My plan is to get back and do all I can to help this team win. That’s my goal. I’m not changing it until someone tells me that it can’t be done.

Travis flew to Dallas from Florida to see a specialist, Dr. Keith Meister. He received a cortisone shot for the pain he has constantly felt since being put on the disabled list July 29. He had another injection of cortisone previously, but Meister chose a different location in the injured area this time and said that might make a difference.

After listening to the earnest young second baseman speak to the media about what he’s been going through, if the cortisone does not provide a miracle, then odds are he could be shut down for the season. The original injury came when he blocked a one-hopper by Brandon Moss with his left collarbone on April 30 in Cleveland. He kept playing for 14 more games before going on the DL. He rehabbed for 41 days and came back into the lineup until July 28.

“Man, I don’t know, I have no clue,” Travis responded when asked when he could pick up a bat. “I don’t think we’ve got that far. I think we’re just praying that I wake up one day and I know I’m just praying that I wake up the next day or the next day or the next day and feel . . . I just want to feel better.”

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The issue here is that unlike starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has been able to actively pursue and accelerate the rehab of his injured left knee using the outstanding facilities at the Duke University Medical Center, whenever Travis is examined by a doctor they tell him only time will heal his shoulder. That is the major frustration he feels, because hard work and determination mean nothing.

“It’s basically just the same stuff, it’s just got to heal,” Travis said of the specialist’s advice. “He says it needs time to heal and that’s exactly what I don’t have. I’m just waiting for that day where I wake up and go, ‘I’ve turned the corner today. I feel much better.’ It hasn’t quite happened yet, but hopefully some time soon.”

So it comes down to hope. Even if Tuesday’s cortisone shot somehow begins a healing process, Travis would need a full spring-training like period to get back to the majors. He has not swung a bat since July 28, when the pain returned after hitting his only home run after the previous 41 days on the DL. The final minor-league team to finish its season will be the Triple-A Bisons on Sept. 7. So where will he get the at-bats needed? Odds are he’s done for 2015. The Jays are 26-36 in games Travis has played and 43-19 when he has not made an appearance.

“I talked to him briefly,” manager John Gibbons said of his 24-year-old second baseman. “We’re not going to write it off, but he’s not making enough progress right now. You probably just eliminate that thought and then somehow if he comes back, then it’s like Stroman or something.”

Meanwhile, Travis spoke glowingly about Stroman, his rehab partner in Dunedin, and the presence that anyone who follows the young pitcher via Twitter knows he has.

“He looks like the Marcus Stroman that everyone has always seen,” Travis said. “I’m sure you guys have seen the tweets. He lets everyone know and he’s honest. He looks great. He doesn’t look like he’s lost a step. He’s a freak. He talks a lot, but it’s the truth. He means it. It’s what keeps him driven and he looks great. I think he could go out there and get it done right now. That’s how good he looks.”

When Travis flies back to Florida on Thursday night, he will rejoin Stroman at the rehab facility. The right-hander threw a simulated game on Monday and has another one slated for Friday. After that, he may be assigned to a minor-league team for a start or two. While Stroman is working hard on the equipment, Travis will be glancing at his watch and urging Father Time to work faster.

“It sucks,” Travis reiterated.

“I’m not envying Marcus for that but for sure, seeing him, he’s about to come back and help this ballclub. It’s exciting stuff, I’m pumped for him. He’s always motivating me. He comes in every morning and it’s, ‘Hey man, let’s go. Gotta get you going.’ He’s like a ball of energy. He walks into the room and it’s like a pot of coffee. You don’t have to have anything. He gets everybody going. I think this clubhouse, he’ll fit in great.”

If the time comes when they shut Travis down for the season, they should bring him back for whatever is left in September and live the experience with his teammates. It’s all part of the process.

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